ESPN’s week-long experiment showing viewers the World Series of Poker players’ hole cards on a short delay was built to stop cheaters.

But that doesn’t mean the pros haven’t used it to their advantage.

A 30-minute tape delay was one of several precautions put in place to keep players honest.

As well, the hole-card cameras are fed into a locked control.

“The guys in the ‘hole-card room’ are the only ones who see the live-feed, and they are sequestered from the production team, guarded by security, pass a background test and are approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission,” says ESPN Coordinating Producer Jamie Horowitz.

“Plus, cell phones and all forms of communication are strictly forbidden from the room.

“When a hand ends, we say to [the hole-card room], ‘reveal the hole cards,’ and that is the first time that anyone sees the cards,” Horowitz said.

In years past, the games were not aired on TV for several weeks after the actual game.

The 30-minute delay is being tried to give the broadcasts more of a “live” feel, the network says.

“The new format is a serious competitive disadvantage for the amateur player,” says Daniel Negreanu, a world-class player who used the “live” hole-card camera to defeat an amateur early in the tournament.

“I had someone texting me with physical tells while I was at the table,” Negreanu told The Post.

“There was a guy from St. Louise, an amateur, and I knew what he was capable of because I had a friend watching for me.

“Does he only bet when he has two aces, or can he be an aggressive bluffer? I can learn that from watching a single hand,” Negreanu says.

ESPN is not disturbed.

“Information is valuable, but you need so much information to act on it, the idea that you can take one hand and learn something is absurd,” Horowitz said.

“If I bluff and you see it 30 minutes later, I know that you know and you know that I know. So who has the advantage?” Horowitz said.

“We’ve made changes to the format in the past, and purists have complained that it threatened the integrity of the game, but you know what? It didn’t,” Horowitz said.